Pfizer vaccine ‘widely used’ vs Covid-19, Galvez tells Senate

MANILA, Philippines — More than 56 million people worldwide have widely used the Pfizer vaccine to treat Covid-19, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Friday.

Galvez categorically answered “Pfizer” when Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto asked for “the widely used” vaccine during the hearing of the Senate Committee of the whole.

However, he could not provide a definitive response when Recto inquired again about the second and third vaccines extensively used in other countries.

“We don’t have the data, sir, but as we’ve heard, Moderna, sir,” he said.

Recto said authorities must have the said data to guide the Philippines in choosing the most effective and safe vaccine for its people, especially for health workers.

“Shouldn’t we give our health workers the best possible vaccine?” asked the senator.

Citing the latest record,  Galvez later informed the committee that the total number of people already vaccinated globally against coronavirus disease was  56,740,191.

Topping the list, he said, is the  United  States with  18,449, 28 people already vaccinated,  followed by China with 15 million;  EU with 7,326, 550; the UK with 5, 437, 254; Israel with 3, 208, 198;  EUA  with  2, 246, 069 while Germany, Italy, Turkey and Spain have all recorded over a million people getting vaccinated.

“Based on our researcher, most of those countries in the US, EU, UK and Israel used Pfizer,”  Galvez added.

In the  Philippines,  Galvez earlier told the committee that some Filipinos could receive the first shots against  Covid-19 by the end of February.

READ: 1st COVID-19 vaccine shots in PH seen by end of February — Galvez

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